Weight System for BP/W

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Nwcid
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Re: Weight System for BP/W

Post by Nwcid »

I am working on making weight harnesses for me and the GF.

The DUI is much bigger then we want/need. We too are splitting weight between harness and BP. Weight belts dont stay in place for me. We have joined our local dive team and they dont like the fact we can not "easily ditch" our weights because the belts are under the crotch strap.

I finally got all the material and hardware in last week. I got one pouch built and will be working on the rest this week. I will post up some pics when I get it done. Hope it works as well as I plan.
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-Aaron-
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Re: Weight System for BP/W

Post by -Aaron- »

One quick note on another advantage of the harness systems that hasn't really been mentioned, is being able to precisely fine tune your trim in the water with little effort. The weight pockets on the DUI harness move both forward and back and up and down. So I can get my trim exactly level without needing to resort to adding ankle or tank weights. If I dive in the tropics with a totally different weight balance, the weight and trim allows me to make the adjustments to level out easily.

For me the best balance for cold water diving has been using a Deep Sea Supply harness with the additional weight plates. This is -15 lbs, then I have a small amount of weight (~10 lbs) in the harness. If I head to the tropics I remove my weight plates, but take an empty weight and trim to fill with the local weights. When I am diving from a boat the small amount of weight in the harness isn't enough to force me to have to remove my belt before I get in the boat after removing my BC. Also, removing that weight from rig means it is easier to lift and requires a smaller wing to float it when I am not wearing it.
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CaseyB449
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Re: Weight System for BP/W

Post by CaseyB449 »

Forgive me... I forget stuff.... Why is dichable weight needed? :popcorn:
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CaptnJack
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Re: Weight System for BP/W

Post by CaptnJack »

CaseyB449 wrote:Forgive me... I forget stuff.... Why is dichable weight needed? :popcorn:
When ya pull the corrugated hose off your wing, or your neck seal seperates from your drysuit fabric, ditching lead starts to be a good idea...

Are you done trolling now?
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CaseyB449
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Re: Weight System for BP/W

Post by CaseyB449 »

CaptnJack wrote:
CaseyB449 wrote:Forgive me... I forget stuff.... Why is dichable weight needed? :popcorn:
When ya pull the corrugated hose off your wing, or your neck seal seperates from your drysuit fabric, ditching lead starts to be a good idea...

Are you done trolling now?
My apologies... captain...

In a single tank I use a weighted STA, steel back plate, and 20 lbs on the belt. And yes the crotch strap holds it, but its just one more belt pull from dropping, so not a big deal right?
In doubles; steel plate, and a 10lb v weight for trim. No belt. Guess I'm gonna die if my suit floods...
Should I learn to dive with the belt then? Or practice flooded suit no wing ascents?

Dichable weight scares the hell out me. Should I pass out under water, I don't want my buddy sending me flying, I'd rather he assend with me, and my reg in my mouth...
"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." Jacques Yves Cousteau
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mz53480
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Re: Weight System for BP/W

Post by mz53480 »

CaseyB449 wrote:....In doubles; steel plate, and a 10lb v weight for trim. No belt.
...practice flooded suit no wing ascents?...
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spatman
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Re: Weight System for BP/W

Post by spatman »

CaseyB449 wrote: Dichable weight scares the hell out me. Should I pass out under water, I don't want my buddy sending me flying, I'd rather he assend with me, and my reg in my mouth...
That sounds like a pre dive conversation. To me, ditchable weight is most important when you need to stay on the surface, not get there in a hurry.
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CaptnJack
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Re: Weight System for BP/W

Post by CaptnJack »

CaseyB449 wrote: Dichable weight scares the hell out me. Should I pass out under water, I don't want my buddy sending me flying, I'd rather he assend with me, and my reg in my mouth...
You or your buddy gets you to the surface, that's not such a big issue assuming you are not overweighted. But how do you plan on staying there? Gas will burp out of your suit's neck seal if you have had a wing failure. If you've had a major suit failure there's no such thing as riding too high in the water.

The 24yo young man who died in Rich Passage last month diving for DNR; he made it to the surface yelled for help, but couldn't stay there. Not sure how he died, and it might not have made a difference in his survival. But they definitely wouldn't have been looking for him for 2 days if he'd ditched his lead.

DAN statistics show that most fatalities still have their lead on them. When the time is right you need to be willing, able, and intuitively ditch it.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
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